


Switch

by Linea14



Series: Klance Short Stories & One-Shots [5]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, But I dont know how to write that so its just sort of there, Galra!Keith, Happy Ending, I tried to do pining but failed, Keith thinks hes the enemy, Kissing, Lance thinks hes worthless, M/M, Meh, attempted suicide, i dont know what im doing, im sorry, mostly its just talking, ok uhh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-05
Updated: 2016-11-05
Packaged: 2018-08-29 04:12:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8474884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Linea14/pseuds/Linea14
Summary: Well Keith tries to shoot himself out of the airlock, but Lance ends up switching places with him and has to stay in the healing pod.  Once he gets out they tell each other that their worth something and such.  Fluff and Angst, I guess?Also- Completed, it's more of a segmented one-shot then anything.





	1. The Airlock

**Author's Note:**

> Okay~ so this isn't a very fight oriented fic but if someone could tell me how the gladiator scene is, I'd really appreciate it. (it's Chapter 2)
> 
> Also, if anyone is offended in any way or dislikes how i've tried to represent something just tell me- I'm a stupid teenager who has no experience and draws completely on the one-sided things i've read.
> 
> Update: AO3 is kicking my butt so ~ represent the lyrics rather than italics.

Keith was useless. The enemy. Hell, he was worse than useless, he was hurting the team. Always clashing, always so cold to people and hot in battle.

 

Yellow eyes flashed in the glass, making him jump and turn towards the enemy before realizing… it had been his eyes.

 

Keith never cries. But he is damn close, throat closing and eyes prickling.

 

_~Wake me up inside~_

__  
__ How long will it be before red stops accepting him? How long until the others find out?

 

___~Wake me up inside~_ _ _

____  
____ How long until he loses control?

____ _ _

_____~Wake me up and save me from myself~_ _ _ _ _

______  
______ Keith’s so lost within doubt and guilt and worry that he loses track of his instincts.

 

The airlock doors open, and he steps in. It’s better this way. It’s better if he does this, because then they can find a new red paladin, one that isn't tainted by purple genes.

 

The door closes. The robotic voice begins the countdown.

 

30 seconds.

 

_______~I tried so hard, and got so far~_ _ _ _ _ _ _

________ _ _ _ _ _ _

20 seconds. Was someone calling his name?

 

_________~But in the end, it doesn’t even matter.~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

A familiar face, tan skin framing blue eyes. That blue is wide, lips screaming and fists pounding on the door.

 

__________~I had to fall to lose it all~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“It’s okay” Keith mouths. “It’s better this way.”

 

“NO!”

 

Lance screams it so loud that Keith hears it. The voice is broken with emotion, the sheer weight of it takes Keith’s breath away.

 

5 seconds.

 

Then Lance stops, meeting his eyes.

 

Next thing he knows a blue bayard is smashing through the glass, a pair of tan hands shoving him out of the way-

 

“LANCE!”

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

No, no no no!

 

Keith does nothing but helplessly scream as Lance takes his place, body thrown out into space.

 

Keith doesn’t cry. No, not for anyone less than Lance.

 

He is begging, begging for anything. A god, a science, some fate that loves to play cruel jokes, begging for anything to save Lance.

 

A red lion swoops forward, snapping its jaws around a lifeless blue body.

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________~ But in the end, it doesn’t even matter. ~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	2. The Healing Pods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why is this so short?
> 
> Whatever. Keith watches over Lance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, apparently the keith-is-training-to-deal-with-his-problems-scene is apparently next chapter?? (How did I miscount the number of chapters what??)

Two days. Two days of overwhelming silence, of stiffness.

 

“Keith, you need to eat.”

 

“No.”

 

“What happened?”

 

“...”

 

“Keith. What. Happened.”

 

Tears start to sip down his face. Gods, Lance why? He’d thrown his life away so quickly, easily. His heart clenched. Lance wasn’t supposed to be silent like this. Keith wished he wasn’t beautiful with this eyes closed and face relaxed, because that made everything worse. He was intruding, seeing something he shouldn’t. Overflowing with guilt like a cup forgotten beneath a tap for too long.

 

Why? Why had Lance done that?

 

“You fucking idiot” Keith mumbled. He’d forgotten that Shiro was there.

 

“What?”

 

“...leave me alone.”

 

~Cause I’m broken~

 

Shiro slams his human hand on a neighboring pod, making Keith jump.

 

~When I’m lonesome.~

 

“I don’t know what happened, but this is not how Lance would want you to treat yourself! God, he lo-” Shiro cuts himself off, groaning.

 

Lo-? Loathes? … Loves?

 

Keith stares at Shiro, eyes wide. “Look, it’s not my place to say that, but take care of yourself.”

 

~And I don’t feel right~

 

Keith digs the palms of his hands into his eyes

 

~When you’ve gone away.~


	3. The Training Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Random Lyrics are replaced by Keith's thoughts.
> 
> And Lance wakes up.

Keith brings himself to shower and eat  _ something  _ at least.  But then he’s right back in front of the pod, staring up at Lance.  He’s never noticed before, but Lance has freckles, scattered across his face like stardust.

 

A whooshing sound floods Keith’s ear.  He jumps up, catching Lance in his arms as the pod opens.

 

“Lance” he breathes, arms tightening around the boy.  Lance looks up at him through his eyelashes, a small smile on his face.

 

“Wow, you missed me this much?”

 

Keith isn’t crying.  Nope, definitely not.  “You fucking  _ idiot.    _ Why would you do that?”

 

“What, be so handsome?”

 

Keith still hasn’t let go.  “You almost died!”

 

“So did you.  Same old news.”  Lance pulls back, standing firmly on his own feet.  “The real question is why did  _ you  _ lock yourself in the airlock?”

 

His body goes cold.  He steps back, looking away.  He caused this.  The enemy.  It’s his fault.  He almost  _ killed  _ Lance.  The thought made his chest seize, his breathes too fast, too shallow.

 

“It’s better for everyone if I’m gone.”

 

He didn’t stay long enough to see Lance’s eyes widen, to see the hands reach for him.  His ears were deaf to Lance’s calls as he fled to the training room.

 

~~~

 

“Training level 4.”

 

Keith crouched, bringing his arms into position.  Sweat was pouring down his face, down his back but he didn't mind the heat.  He always blew hot anyways.  Relaxing his tight grip on his bayard, he swung his blade forward to meet the gladiator’s.  He hopped out of distance, eyes scanning for any cues.  Instincts had him twirling to meet the blade once again.  Instead of disengaging he held, muscles trembling with exhaustion.  But even the harder level couldn’t keep his thoughts at bay.

 

**_The only reason you can do this is the galra in your veins._ **

 

Keith rolled his blade, flicking his hand beneath the sword and lunging forward.  The gladiator nicked his shoulders as Keith’s red bayard drove deep into the metal.  Now blood joined sweat… and tears.  Fuck, when had he become such a crier?

 

**_It’s your fault.  You can’t even kill yourself properly._ **

**_The enemy the enemy._ **

**_If lance knew, he wouldn't have saved you._ **

**_If they knew._ **


	4. The Castle in the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> YAY FOR SUDDEN POV CHANGES.
> 
> They talk :)

Worthless.

 

His body felt hollow.  Keith hadn’t even been willing to tell him  _ why. _

 

He wishes he hadn’t been saved.  That he could've just been left to float among the stars.  Maybe then they could find a blue paladin worth keeping, one who could actually pilot the lion effectively.  A paladin who couldn't be replaced.

 

The blue lion was accepting, they'd find another pilot easily.  Hell, Allura could do it.  She’d be better at it then he was.  Although really, who wouldn't be better?

 

Lance hadn’t moved from the healing room.

 

He was willing to die for Keith.  Who was so much  _ better at everything.   _ Who held his heart in those pale hands.  Who's fucking mullet looked so soft, that same mullet he wanted to run his hands through.  But he wasn’t good enough for Keith, he knew that.  Hell, Keith found him  _ annoying,   _ had  _ run  _ from him as soon as he could.

 

He heard footsteps.  Hunk.

 

He didn’t want to talk to his best friend right now.

 

Lance ran silently towards the glass dome of the observation deck (at least he  _ thought  _ it was glass).  There he could stare at unfamiliar stars, so small in the grand scheme of things.

 

But before he could get there he stopped.  Was that… sobbing?

 

Lance stared at the doors of the training room.  Making a split second decision he walked in.

 

_ Fuck. _

 

He ran forward and grabbed Keith’s shoulders.  Keith was shaking, purple spidering across his face.

 

“Hey, hey it’s okay”  _ It’s not  _ “I’m here”  _ So what  _ “Deep breaths”  _ hypocrite  _ “It’s okay.”

 

Keith’s eyes lookup into his and Lance flinches as they flash yellow.  But this is  _ Keith.   _ He had known he was part Galra for awhile, and it didn’t matter to the paladins.

 

Keith started shaking his head.  “I’m the enemy” he whispers, hands clenching.

 

“No, no Keith you aren’t.  You’re Keith, our red paladin.  Fuck,  _ listen  _ to me.  You're irreplaceable, and just so  _ you _ .  Finding out that some ancestor of yours is Galran doesn't change that, okay?  WE don’t care about that, so beating yourself up about it.”

 

Lance notices the blood seeping through his fingers and runs to the side of the room to get a bandage.  Keith has calmed down, and now his violet eyes are more soul crushing than ever.  The purple fades as Lance carefully wraps up the cut.  Keith should not be allowed to train any longer, because he looks like some sort of god with the sweat glistening on his skin.

 

“Why’d you save me?”

 

Lance sighs, sitting back.  His fingers fiddle with the zipper on his jacket.  “I mean it, you’re irreplaceable.”

 

“But you could have died!”

 

“I wanted to.”

 

Fuck.  Did he just say that?  His eyes widen and snap up to look at Keith’s, who just looks… dumbfounded.  His voice comes out in a strangled whisper.  “What?”

 

Lance laughs it off, because it shouldn’t be a surprise.  “What am I, Keith?  Am I a badass fighter?  A genius hacker, an amazing mechanic?  Even a semi-decent leader?  No.  I’m just the flirting failure who happened to be with the rest of you.  Unlike you guys, I am replaceable.  Hell, you guys should just get on with it already because the next blue paladin would be better than I ever was.  All I’m good for is to be a human shield at the right time.  That’s it.”

 

He feels Keith’s eyes on him, so he lifts his gaze from where it fell back to the floor.

 

What he sees isn’t what he thought he'd see.  It’s… It’s confusion, anger, outrage, shock, desperation, and something else he can't name.

 

“You… you actually think that.”

 

Lance stands.  “Obviously.  Well, the dead weight’s gonna go get someth-”

 

Keith is up in a flash, hands gripping Lance’s arms.

 

“Please tell me you don’t believe it.  That you don’t mean… that you don't mean it.”

 

Why is he being difficult?  “I said exactly what I meant.”

 

Hurt, of all things, flashes in Keith's eyes.  “What the hell?  You think we don't care about you?”

 

“That doesn’t-”

 

“You idiot!”  The ferocity of Keith’s words makes Lance stop.  “We can’t replace you, why would you even think that!?  You're the glue that holds everyone together.  Do you know how  _ silent _ it is without you around?”  Keith rests his forehead against Lance’s, hands shaking.  “Gods, you're annoying and dramatic and a goof ball, but you’re so fucking  _ bright _ .  You’re compassionate to a fault, and in the end?  It;s you who pushes us forward, who keeps us holding on to hope.  You’re my  _ rival,  _ who the fuck else is going to do that?

 

“Anyo-”

 

  
“NO!”  Keith shook Lance, hands fisting in the fabric of his jacket.  “No one else could do that.   _ No one. _ ”

 

Lance stared at the earnestness in Keith’s eyes.  Fluttering, his eyes flitted down.

 

They’re close.  Really close, and realizing this makes Lance’s breath hitch.

 

Maybe keith sees the hesitancy still in his eyes, maybe he just follows that red instinct he is so fond of.

 

“Please”  He whispers, voice breaking, black hair curling around those violet eyes.  “I can't lose you.”

 

The next thing Lance feels is Keith’s lips on his.  Hesitant, still thinking Lance doesn’t want him like that.

 

What?  What!?

 

Keith pulls back, looking down.

 

Does Keith… like him?   It seems insane, impossible, because the world never just works out like that.  There’s only one way to find out.

 

Lance surges forward, crossing that gap and smashes his lips to Keith’s.  It’s desperate, filled with fear and emotion.  At some points heads turn and lips part, and then there's tongue and  _ oh my god. _

 

Embarrassingly his legs give out, and he crashes to the floor.  The fact that Keith follows makes him flash a tired grin.

 

“I know i’m not worth much-”

 

“ _ Lance. _ ”

 

“-but I love you.  In case that, uh, wasn’t clear.  Oh god does that make me a furry?”

 

Keith, surprisingly, laughs.  “Even if I’m the enemy, I love you too.”

 

They lay there in comfortable silence for awhile.  

 

Keith breaks the silence with a dry laugh.  “Gods, we’re a mess.”

 

Chuckling, Lance stands.  “Yes, but you’re  _ my  _ mess.”

 

Keith hums, face flushed as he twines his fingers in Lance’s.

 

And somewhere, Pidge grins at the video feed her screen displays.

 


	5. The Living Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smol Epilogue

“Woo!  We rocked that battle guys!  Those Galra didn’t even know what hit them.”

 

Allura smiles thinly.  “You say that every time, Lance.” 

 

Rolling his eyes, Lance holds up two fingers.  “First of all, I don’t.”

 

“Yes, you do.”

 

Lance gasps, eyes wide as he stares at a muttering Keith.  His hand flies to his chest, clutching in the general vicinity of his heart.  “Betrayal!  That’s it sweetheart, I revoke your boyfriend privileges.”  Primly ignoring Keith's sputtering (every week was a new pet name, and every time Lance switched it made Keith blush to his toes), Lance continued “Besides, I meant it this time!”

 

“You just want another party” Hunk grumbles.  Winking, Lance pats Hunk’s arm.  “You know me so well.  It’s Keith’s fault for looking so delicious when he dresses up anyways.”

 

“Lance!”  Keith yelps, mortified.  Lance just smiles his signature shit-eating grin, winking again.

 

  
“I think I preferred it when you guys were always arguing” Pidge groans.  Allura and Shiro solemnly nod their agreements.

 

A mischievous gleam shines in Lance’s eyes, and he pulls Keith to his lips (quickly cutting of any of the red paladin's protests).

 

“ _ Guys! _ ”  But the yelling falls on deaf ears.

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so the random lyric parts that I should probably just take out but wont are from 
> 
> Wake me up- Evanescence  
> In the end- Linkin Park  
> Broken- Seether ft. Amy Lee


End file.
